Locker stuck ... locked and in 4LO

I was out wheeling and locked up the rear. Did the hill climb, all was fine. I tried to disengage the locker. It would not. Forward, backward, turning, on flat ground. Turned the car off & on, no luck. Tried to disengage 4Lo - boy did that piss it off!!! Back in 4LO, tried disengaging again and it finally came off and I got into 4HI and the 2HI so I could drive home.

Two questions

- what the french toast happened???
- is there a way to take this thing out and rebuild / clean it if it's gummed up or ???

 

Sometimes you need to turn slowly to get the locker to disengage. Not much to do on the outside other than a visual inspection of the solenoid wires/connectors.

 

It takes time to get the e locker in and out sometimes. It gets a little easier the more you use it.

Like said going back and forth and turning does help engage and disengage

 

OK, so using it once every two or three months is not helping it work. But now I'm scared to engage it!

 

Nah when you're out use it a few times when in 4 low. In and out a few times. You'll notice it gets easier just doing that while out

Example yesterday it took me about 10 seconds to engage and disengage the 1st time. By the 5the it came on instantly and off. Alot has to do with it all lining up but it also gets used

 

Are u still under warranty? If so, I'd be trying to get it stuck, so it can be repaired

 

I've had one 3rd gen get stuck due to the transfercase actuator.

I wouldn't worry about it unless it happens again. These trucks just hate shifting in and out of 4lo unless its 100% unloaded sitting in park at idle.

 

75,000 miles ... no more warranty. They said I have a 100,000 mile powertrain warranty, but it only covers engine and transmission - no transfer case, no drivetrain.

 

4Lo popped out fine once the rear locker was disengaged. I use 4lo a lot as the throttle response for trails and hill climbing is significantly better, plus I get to use MTS to throw some magic at the terrain! So may be the trick is to just engage and disengage the locker multiple times each week to keep it happy.

 

They'll say you aren't covered when off road or you shouldn't be using it on road.

Or normal operation knowing the dealers

 

They take time to unload that's all.

Haven't had it happen to me yet but seen other guys have it load up on rocks and took a while until they got on some terrain with more slip for the axle/tcase to unload


End of the day it's an electrical signal if absolutely needed just unplug it at the axle once it's no longer under tension it will release as there's no power to keep it locked

 

Have you done your fluids recently.

 

Toyota says this is normal....

 

Yes, every 20,000 miles. So about to do it for the fourth time this summer.

 

With an e-locker, you sometimes need to turn the wheel and move slowly to get it to engage...that way one wheel on the rear end is turning more than the other, it gives the locker a chance to "line things up" so to say...

Mine acts the same way sometimes, it's especially frustrating if I'm on an obstacle and cannot really move forward or backwards at an angle to get it to lock up.

 

It's a dog clutch that can get hung up. Since it unlocks via passive spring force if it's bound, i.e. there's contact force in the dogs on the clutch and side gear, the spring can't overcome it. Also, over time they can get wear and marks on the surfaces that hang up worse. It just needs to get fully unloaded and the only way to do this is get the wheels to want to differentiate in the direction that unloads the current direction of mesh in the system. The 8.75" locker doesn't seem to have a lot of teeth so I've noticed it can take a bit of differentiation to get everything into alignment for locking. With unlocking you just need to get the load off the dogs. Actuating the system frequently will also help flush around build up and crud that can cause extra friction the springs have to overcome. G'luck!

 

First time I used my locker I spent 30 minutes doing circles on a back road trying to get it to disengage, the guy that owned it before me probably never used it. Now it works like a charm cause I engage it every so often.

 

If you really have trouble getting it to unlock, jack one rear tire off the ground... not much more unloaded than that

(No, jacking up a wheel shouldnt be necessary.)

I dont recommend it, but if it is ever 'stuck', you can pull the lock signal connector on the diff and the ECU wont know its locked any more and wont yell at you...

 

Try reversing while turning and going forward while turning. One side might be locked still wherever the truck is sitting currently. Moving it around some should help?

 

My old S10 used to get stuck in 4lo, I'd just put it in reverse for a few feet then forward and try turning it off again. Sometimes it just bound up a little and needed working loose.